Jet black is one of the colors that make an old Allante look new.
By Wallace A. Wyss
Captions by Wyss
All photos courtesy of
Norman Penfield, President Allante Atlanta Car Club
Like a lot of other trends in the auto industry, it started with all good intentions—the creation of an American car with the added glitz of Italian styling and coachwork.
I speak of the Cadillac Allante. The Allante has a name which Cadillac picked out of the air. It is not an Italian word like Avanti was for the Studebaker Avanti (which means “forward” in Italian.) I always thought it sort of hinted at the mythical undersea town of Atlantis. But the car, like the fabled city , sunk beneath the waves….
The two-seater was in production from 1987 through 1993.
Cadillac had seen the success of the Mercedes 450SL (introduced as the 350SL in 1971) and the Jaguar XJS and hungered for their own two seater sporty car. I say “sporty” not “sports.” There’s a difference.
Cadillac thought they could do an end run around the Mercedes by having the additional cachet of Italian styling and called upon Pininfarina, the famous design firm and coachbuilder. Actually Chuck Jordan who was VP in charge of design at the time and a super Ferrari fan, didn’t mind that Pininfarina was involved rather than GM Design as he loved popping by Pininfarina to see the latest Ferrari.
While I was working in Detroit, I got to know Jordan. He told me the design of the Allante was supposed to be entirely by Pininfarina without Cadillac input but he couldn’t help peeking at it during one visit to Italy. One wonders if his “peek” influenced the design to look more American than it did European.
The pseudo-wire wheels on this one are a little too much bling but this is one of the coveted Northstar versions—with a 4-cam alloy block alloy heads V8 that would have looked at home in a Ferrari 308.
One thing’s sure—there were some Pininfarina-designed Lancias at the time—principally the 1977 Lancia Gamma that looked an awful lot like the Allante, especially around the front and side. But the bland rectangular tail lights were certainly American style.
But is it an Italian car? Concorso Italiano had a class for Allantes at their 2009 event and I think that made sense. After all, it is as much Italian as the Dual Ghia. So maybe in the long run, Allantes will attain some respectability at last….
Cadillac put themselves into a box as far as making profits when they thought, hey, we’ll make the chassis in Detroit and then fly them to Italy and have the body put on and then fly them back. That automatically made the cars about $4,000 to $8000 more expensive to make than they would be if made in the U.S. This was unlike VW when they made the Karmann Ghia where it was designed in Italy but built in Germany still using the Italian design firm’s name.
Please take the time to contribute and keep VeloceToday coming to your inbox every week. It’s easy and safe. Simply click here for details.
Actually it was more like another luxury car builder, decades earlier, Eugene Casaroll, who sent Chrysler chassis to Ghia to be bodied and then finished the cars in Detroit. He lost money on every Dual Ghia built.
There was a pace car, and every time there’s a pace car at Indy, there are “pace car replicas” on showroom floors all across America. We don’t find this lettering too objectionable compared to other some other pace cars (remember that godawful Barney purple Corvette?) Maybe it’s the dramatic scenery but we find this a great Italian-designed ride for the price of a five year old Corolla.
The original Allante fell into the sporty, not sports car class because of its anemic engine choice. The original engine was a 170 hp. 4.1 liter multi port fuel injected V8 with roller valve lifters, high-flow cylinder heads.
In 1989 there was an upgrade to the 4.5 liter V8, producing 200 horsepower, and with 270 lb•ft (366 N•m), which Wikipedia says “provided the most torque from any front-wheel-drive automobile in the world.”
But the big boost in power had to wait until the last year, 1993, at which time, it got the new 4.6 liter dual overhead cam Northstar V8 rated at 295 hp. With 290- ft-lbs. of torque at 4400 rpm coupled to the four speed automatic. The handling was also improved though real performance buffs (those who liked BMWs for instance) would say what good did that do when it was still front wheel drive?
Just when you think you got a Ferrari engine on the cheap, you realize it’s hooked up to a front wheel drive car. Be forewarned, as cool as the Northstar looks, on Cadillacforums.com I found this disquieting note from a forum member: The 4.5 engine is best for me. Northstar is nice engine sure, but here no one can repair it, when needed. No maybe, the engine inbetween the 4.1 and the Northstar would be more reliable. Suggest combing Cadillac websites for engine comparisons before choosing.
The 1993 Allante also boasted upgraded disc brakes , variable assist power steering single, piece side windows, and a deep front spoiler. The car magazines finally began to praise the car but its higher price–$65,000—was digging a ditch for it. Here it had a dwindling popularity before the new model and word leaked out that ’93 was the last year so why be interested in a car that was on the way out? It was still priced lower than the Mercedes two seater and the Jaguar two seater, though.
My personal introduction to the Allante was in its first year, outside the Cadillac plant in Detroit, where I drove it around a short driving course. I noticed it plowed in the corners like the typical front drive car and wallowed a bit. I never drove the later Northstar but I am sure it was more satisfying with the increased power and torque.
One styling touch that turned me off was the hard boot over the convertible top. It looked very cheap and plastic, I would have preferred an old fashioned leather boot like on the Jaguar XJ-S.
Cadillac was proud when the Allante was ranked above both a Jaguar convertible and the Mercedes Benz 300SL by “Car and Driver”.
The Allante proved to be a popular choice for many consumers because it offered power, style, and was more affordable than either the comparable Jaguar and Mercedes competitors. When you consider that the Allante retailed for about $65,000 in 1993 and the Jaguar was almost $72,000 and the Mercedes was over $90,000, it’s easy to see why the Allante was the choice of many who were looking for a luxury roadster. While the Allante lasted just six model years, it is still recognized as one of the most luxurious Cadillac roadsters that one could buy.
We expect the fuzzy seat covers wouldn’t flush in Italy. There’s lots of wood here but maybe the owner added some, seems to be a mis-match between that on the dash and on the console. The automatic shift shows another impediment to the enthusiast fully embracing this roadster—a manual shift wasn’t available (but then it wasn’t available on the rival car, the American-spec 350SL/450SL either).
Cadillac made around 21,000 of the Allantes over a seven year period. Which, as a number, makes it collectible. The ideal collectible car, in this writer’s experience, is between 400 (the Mangusta and Iso Grifo) and just over 1,000 (the Ferrari Daytona coupe). Twenty times that high number makes it rare but not super-rare. But still is a lot better than 50,000. Odds are, if you go to Cadillac dealers, you will be hard put to find one on the used car lot.
The hardtop leaked. But never mind, the soft-top leaked too. When they were new the replacement cost for the hardtop was $10,000—today you can find an entire running Allante for as low as $3000.
One of the troubles with the Allante was the hardtop. It leaked and like all hardtops, required a hoist to lift it off the car. But since they hardtops are worth abut $3,000 by themselves, it would be worth buying one with a hardtop and selling the hardtop to another Allante owner and thereby lowering your cost in the car.
This writer went on Craigslist.com and found several Allantes for sale, the lowest of which was only $5,000. But the average price was more like $6000 up to around $8000.
Another problem with Allantes was that you had to use some leather saver on the seats or they would dry out and the leather would go to seed. Few owners of Allantes knew that you could buy leather conditioners so some have ripped up leather which could cost a lot to replace—probably over $500 a seat. And the convertible top could be expensive to replace since it wasn’t made in America.
I saw a pearl white Allante the other day, with the Vogue whitewall tires and polished mags, and damned if it didn’t look just peachy. And considering you could buy one of these for between $5000 and $8000 and have a two seater bodied in Italy, I am beginning to think twice about it, especially if it had the Northstar engine.
I was at the McCormick Auction in Palm Springs and spied a pink Allante with fairly low mileage. I thought ‘real men don’t drive pink cars,’ but then worried later that maybe I passed up one helluva deal. I could have scored big reselling it to a woman somewhere down the road. I researched it recently on the net and found out it was a 1988, color was Mary Kay Pink, originally delivered to Dallas TX for personal use by Mary Kay Ash. When BJ sold it for over 10k a bit earlier, they wrote: it was painted Code “84U” Mountain Laurel Pearl, more commonly known as Mary Kay Pink. Her request was so powerful as a GM Fleet customer, that GM executives had to sit down to a 2-day meeting with Pininfarina, who refused to build “pink sports cars.” In the end we all know the outcome. Hey, Pininfarina, lighten up! It’s only a color…
But is it an Italian car? Concorso Italiano had a class for Allantes at their 2009 event and I think that made sense. After all, it is as much Italian as the Dual Ghia. So maybe in the long run, Allantes will attain some respectability at last….
The Allante has almost been forgotten after production began in 2003 of a more modern and much more high performance Cadillac two seater, the 2004 XLR. This car was built on the Corvette’s chassis so naturally was a rocket ship from the word go. It’s even built in the Corvette factory in Bowling Green, KY. And of course its rear wheel drive, like the Allante should have been if competing against two rear wheel driver foreign roadsters.
The XLR’s first year was the 2004 model. It’s additional big plus over the Allante is that its hardtop is retractable–no need to buy a hoist to install in your garage to lift the top off, as you have to do with the Allante. Ironically the engine is the 4.6 liter Northstar, now tuned to 320 hp. From the 2007 model year it was mated to a 6-speed automatic.
There was even a specially hot model the XLR-V that was 4.4 liters and supercharged rated at 443 hp.
Curiously the XLR started out in its early days at about $35,000 more than the Corvette, at $76,000, and prices rose steadily each year after that. In 2009, the Cadillac XLR Platinum starts at $86,200, and the hot rod XLR-V is a whopping $104,200.
The gray was a great color too, though this writer prefers the pearl white (didn’t you hafta pay guys like Dean Jeffries lots of money in the Fifties to get a good pearl?). The convertible top boot always stuck in this writer’s craw—it looked like hard plastic, would’ve preferred an old fashioned leather boot, a la Rolls Corniche dhc.
Ironically, just as with the Allante, after a few years on the market, sales plummeted, with Cadillac selling only 600-odd cars in 2009, a year Cadillac has announced will mark the end of production. The total sales looks like it will be under those of the Allante even though it was on the market for seven years. Maybe it’s the knife-edge “art and science” styling that got old fast but this writer thinks, hey, putting performance in from the start was good but maybe they should have gone back to Italy for the styling and this time tried harder to keep any GM design influence out of the mix.
—————-
THE AUTHOR: WALLACE WYSS, a frequent contributor to VeloceToday.com is currently working on his novel, a film noir
style thriller set in the world of collector Ferraris.
Wallace:
As an Italo-American hybrid enthusiast, you might consider an Apollo GT. Only 88 made, with bodies hand-beaten by Intermeccanica in Torino.
Finding a perfect one, though, is difficult.
Three friend had these cars, and they all leaked like a sieve in the rain. They were eventually taken back by Cadillac. – Don
The Allante run was actually 7 years. 1987 thru 1993. He’s right the one to have is the Northstar engine which was only in 1993.
I have had a Flax (cream yellow/only 88 produced) 1993 that I purchased in 1994 with 6,ooo miles on it. It is a great car and I have had no service issues or leaks from the convertible top. Considering the cost of purchasing a clean low milage one today, nothing out there approaches its value or good looks. If you want a unique, head turning roadster, the Allante is a great choice.
The Allante today gives more bang for the buck than any convertible available. This is from a guy who has owned over a dozen Vettes and many Camaros. Absolutely love these cars. The ’93 with Northstar was special but any Model Year that has been babied and had proper maintenance is worth owning. Appearance was virtually the same over the 7 model years.
We have a scarlet 1987 Allante. Both hard & soft top. Had it for over 5 years, and it’s never leaked- We’ve been well pleased with the ride. Very comfortable. It’s a luxury sporty convertible. Nothing like the Miata (which we also have) where you feel all the road bumps. Our looks like new after the new paint job we did right after we got it. Lovely car.
A group of veteran GM engineering teams and I have restored a 1993 polo green Cadillac-Pininfarina Allante (with Northstar V-8) over the past two years. The Allante’s a tremendous product and a blast to drive if maintained. The classic Pininfarina Allante styling continues to be a crowd pleaser and well worth the investment of time and labor. Many folks have asked if my Allante’s a new model from Cadillac! Cloth top roof leaks may have been true in the early years but with my 1993 version there have been no leaks. Last month while on the freeway in central Michigan I outran a severe daytime thunderstorm with high cross winds as an approaching tornado (take shelter) warning was blaring on the radio. This was a torrential downpour, wipers running at high speed, fog lights on, with traffic slowing to 30 mph as we drove a perpendicular road out of the path of the storm. By far the most severe weather I’ve ever driven with the Allante. Thankfully no hail and virtually no cloth top roof leaks. Recently major national car auctions have resold well maintained 1993 Allantes for upwards of $25,000. (U.S.). many Allantes are holding their value. When adjusted for inflation a 1993 Allante in today’s dollars would invoice, before tax, for about $95,000. And yes there are 1987-1993 Allantes in various condition available on eBay. Given the enthusiasm of most Allante owners and the limited production run, it looks like the Pininfarina Allante design is becoming a true classic.
Considering the price of the car when new it is one of the best bargains in the rare market. I takes a sense of humor to own an Allante but the guys and gal over on AllanteNet the web forum of the Allante Club of America all seem to have one.
http://allante.us/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl is the place to be for all things Allante.
Come join the fun!
I have owned a 1990 Allante for 19 years. It now has 102K miles and runs as smoothly as the day I bought it with very few problems and never a leak. It is a fine automobile and a pleasure to drive. Yes, it has some quirks but they are more than offset by the pride I feel every time I see someone admiring its Italian styling.
The Allante was the reason that Pininfarina ceased production of the Pininfarina Azzura in 1985 1/2 after only 150 or so half year models were produced. The 1985 1/2 Azzura boasted rack and pinion steering, 4 wheel disc brakes and rear wheel drive. These are rarely seen, underpriced, and a blast to drive.
A true sports car was sacrificed for the fat cats in America wanting a luxo faux sporting car that said American Cadillac. I doubt that very few of the purchasers of a new Allante even knew who or what Pininfarina was. Sad.
Though the name was picked out of the air, I was named after the car! My father Allanzo was an apprentice at Pininfarina in Italy and I was born in 1993 when the Allanté was ending production.
We have a 1989 Alltane Pininfarina for sale with only 22,000 actual miles. See the web site for pics and info.
I am new to the Allante’ circle.It’s really my first thrill in collector cars.At age 19 (1961) I worked on and learned about Rolls Royce – Springfield, MAss. Cars. My 1987 Allante’ tweaked me, big time. I have a Pearl White with red interior -89,100 today’s mileage. I swear previous owners saved the ride for me.I use it daily. Trips to Cape Cod and Boston have proved to be pleasurable… without incident. Sure a few small things need addressing but nothing to stop me from having fun!Ii’ll be 70 in July. “Delayed gratification” works best for me.
I have a ’93, unrestored, appears to have been garaged, tops, hard and soft, only leak under extreme conditions (driving at 65 plus in pouring rain, or parked in hurricane force winds), Northstar is powerful and smooth, goes around corners as well as my Audi A-4, which is very well, ’93 seats are US made, previous years were Recaro’s, so have held up well, leather is cracking but not tearing or coming apart at the seams, and the tonneau cover, cheap, hard, plastic, along with the GM tail light treatment, are the two aesthetic faults of the car. The grill, pure GM, is not bad. I am thinking of putting a solid color matched cover over the bulk of the taillight assembly, with portholes or something like that for the lights themselves, and a canvas tonneau cover, and while I am at it, a muffler that sounds more like a V-8, and less like a mid ’80’s GM 3.8 V-6. But it is a pleasure to drive, and drive it I do. When Mustangs and Camaros are going for more than $50,000, this is a great alternative for an open two seater with muscle.
I disagree with calling it an “open two seater with muscle” but I only drove the earlier non Northstar edition so maybe the Northstar was better in delivering sporty driving with the sporty styling. I think there were reliability problems with the pre-Northstar V8s as well, something about profuse oil leaks. I agree with you that it would only need a couple of improvements in styling–I also thought of a canvas or leather tonneau cover to replace the cheap plastic hunk they have there. And I thought of Ferrari 400GT taillights though of course the Ferrari people will yelp. I hope more owners of slightly modified Allantes send in pictures so we can see the Allante they should have built, rather than the one they did.
By the way how much more are the pearl white ones with the side spear in chrome–the limited edition model, and how many did they make of those?
For twenty one years I have watched the 93-North*, waiting for my time and cost and I just bought one for me. “Charleston Green” or Polo Green, to you-all, (black in the shade, dark green in the sun, from a militraybrat to an Allante, thank you God. I don’t have her till next week when I drive her home so for a week I will look at her on e-bay and in my dreams and anticipation . One Bucket List Item Less
My ’93 pearl white does not leak. It is powerful (and thirsty). The ride is smooth, firm and secure. The car is sometimes a pain to get repaired – and the cost is high. I still do a lot of my own maintenance and take very good care of it. I have owned it for 16 years now and still like it very much. For an exotic, it is a damn good car.
While at the YMCA today, I saw a 1951 Chevrolet convertible sold to an antique dealer. The top was demonstrated and with a push (or pull) of a button, the top did it’s trick like new. That one thing is what did the Allanté in – even more than the price. It can only be blamed only on the Cadillac head honchos, and stupid decisions such as no automatic operating top.
Odell
I have recently purchased a 1990 allante , I love driving this car , the only complaint I have at this time is the leak where the converable top meets the top of the window . Also the radio does not work . Bryan
1993 Allante–Green & tan interior
Looking for Engine to Replace
Do you guys known of any engine—–!
I am in FT.LAUDERDALE, FL.
Thanks
Mark Kahn
(954) 822-4930